"Perverse Mindset": PM Modi's Rebuttal To Critics On Rapes, Lynchings
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, often attacked by his critics for a spike in incidents of mob violence and rapes, ripped into his political rivals for their effort to "reduce these incidents" to "mere statistics" and indulge in politics.
"That shows a kind of perverse mindset that looks at violence and criminality as something to be milked, instead of unitedly opposing," PM Modi said in an interview to news agency ANI.
"Even a single incident is one too many and deeply unfortunate.... My party and I have spoken in clear words, on multiple occasions against such actions and such a mindset. It is all on record," PM Modi said.
"Let there be no doubts about the will of my Government to implement the rule of law in its true letter and spirit," he said.
But as an NDTV investigation earlier this month indicated, there is a gap between the stated objective and ground realities.
In two cases, one each in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, two men accused of killing two men on suspicions of cow slaughter were caught on a hidden camera bragging about the killings.
The Supreme Court, which had spoken against "horrendous acts of mobocracy" just days earlier, took note of the investigation and agreed to hear a petition to seek probe by a court-monitored special team into the murder in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur. Central ministers, however, had declined to comment on the sting, arguing that they hadn't seen the news item.
Janata Dal Secular leader Danish Ali said it was wrong to accuse anyone of politics.
"But there is one question.... Why is it that lynching has become so common in the last four years", Danish Ali said, criticising PM Modi of not taking a public stand when one of his ministers, Jayant Sinha, garlanded convicts in a mob violence case after they were released on bail.
PM Modi's critics, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, have often argued that the Prime Minister doesn't speak when leaders from his party are involved in rapes.
Launching the Congress campaign in Rajasthan a few hours earlier in the day, Mr Gandhi had been unsparing in his attacks on the ruling party at the centre and PM Modi, in particular.
"In UP, a BJP MLA rapes a woman and entire UP BJP tries to protect him. Incidents occurred in Chhattisgarh also but the prime minister does not speak a word," Rahul Gandhi said at the rally.
PM Modi cited the change in law to make provisions of capital punishment in certain category of crimes against women. "You might have noted that results in terms of quick disposal of such cases leading to even capital punishment have started coming in," he told ANI.
courtesy : ndtv.com
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PM Modi speaks to Iranian president, discusses 'serious' situation in West Asia
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday night spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian over the phone and discussed the "serious situation" in West Asia.
Modi expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions in the region and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure.
The prime minister told the Iranian President that the safety and security of Indian nationals, along with the need for unhindered transit of goods and energy, remain India's top priorities.
“Had a conversation with Iranian President, Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, to discuss the serious situation in the region. Expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure,” Modi said in a post on X.
The prime minister also reiterated India's commitment to peace and stability and urged dialogue and diplomacy to end the crisis.
The prime minister had spoken to leaders of several West Asian countries in the last 10 days in the wake of the coordinated offensive launched against Iran by the United States and Israel, in which the Islamic country's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed last month.
In retaliation, Iran has fired drones and missiles at Israel and US military installations around the Gulf region, including the global business and aviation hubs of Dubai and Doha.
Modi earlier spoke to the leaders of Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Israel and Qatar, and expressed concern over the attacks on their countries, and condemned the violation of some nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He also discussed the welfare and security of the Indian community residing in those countries.
Around 1 crore Indians live in the Gulf and West Asia. While about 10,000 Indian citizens live, study and work in Iran, more than 40,000 live in Israel.
